The Mech and the 'Billy
by clanket
Summary: A/U. Callie and Arizona meet in a dive bar and hit it off.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Mech and the 'Billy  
**Author:** clanket  
**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona  
**Rating:** T for language  
**Summary:** A/U. Callie and Arizona meet in a dive bar and hit it off.  
**  
Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

As Callie walked into the dive bar her senses we assaulted with the sight of tattooed bodies sporting hairdos that must've taken hours to achieve and a lively atmosphere complete with wet music. The Matadors were being blared over the bar's sound system.

She was supposed to meet Cristina there to check out some hot new band on the city's underground rockabilly scene. Leave it to Cristina to find an underground rockabilly niche. The girl was clearly uncomfortable around the likes of normal society and Callie couldn't help but think how fitting it is that Cristina feels at home in a place that's considered 'underground'.

"Torres! Over here!" Callie snapped her head toward the sound of her name and, conveniently, toward the bar.

"Hey Cristina," she shouted over the thumping bass line of the music. "Is everyone else hare?"

"No, just Sloan. Teddy should be here in a bit."

"What about Owen?"

"I don't think he's coming. He's got that race tomorrow," she shouted over the music.

Callie nodded in understanding. She wouldn't be up for too much partying the night before going up against Alex Karev in a one-mile winner-takes-all showdown, either. Owen is a good racer even if he's a little quick on the clutch. Callie kept telling him to hit it just half a second later to really make it pop but he constantly pulled the trigger too early. That's also why he was in danger of losing some of his sponsors; no one wants their name on a loser, even if they're a loser by an inch.

"Hey Torres, you down for a round?" Cristina asked nodding to the tequila and beer in sitting in front of her.

Callie placed her helmet carefully onto the bar countertop and took the proffered beer.

"What, no shot? You goin' soft on me Torres?" Cristina baited with a lopsided grin.

Callie smirked. "Nah, I've got my bike," she replied as she nodded toward her helmet.

Just then, the music died down only to be replaced by a round of applause and hollers. Callie and Cristina turned around to eye the stage on the other side of the bar just as three people walked onto it.

"This is the band I've been telling you about, Callie. They're called The Dollhouse," Cristina explained over the roar of the crowd. Apparently this little band was quite well known in certain circles.

"They've only been playing together for about a year but they exploded as soon as they got a new singer," Cristina continued. "Trust me; you'd never expect that voice from someone like her.

Callie scrunched her eyebrows in Cristina's direction trying to figure out what she meant. All she saw were three men. Upon seeing her look, Cristina motioned to the stage with her beer. Just then a petit blond walked onto the stage and the crowd picked up its cheering once again. Her hair was in perfect ringlets and her bangs were parted in the middle only to be pinned back in two separate curls, one above each eyebrow. She wore a knee-length red halter dress complete with white polka dots and tulle to spare. The heart-shaped bust gave her ample cleavage. Callie didn't mind at all.

Scanning her eyes down the rest of the blonde's form, Callie took in toned imperfection-free legs until her gaze came to land on her white wedge heels, complete with a smooth button to match her dress, no doubt.

Callie enjoyed how her outfit was well put together and matched but not overly so – at least her shoes weren't red with polka dots. As Callie lazily brought her gaze back up to the woman's face she noticed a small white bow on top of her head right where the two front curls met at the back. Callie had never been into girly-girls but maybe she would make an exception for this woman. Callie's lips formed a grin at the thought of having her way with this woman that was nothing at all like her usual type. But seeing as she was still single, maybe 'her type' wasn't really working for her, anyway.

Realizing that she was grinning like an idiot, Callie quickly brought her beer to her lips but kept her eyes glued to the woman on stage who was just stepping up to the mic.

"Hello everyone," the blonde's voice rang out. "We," she gestured to the band behind her, "are The Dollhouse."

Another round of applause broke out through the bar. Callie looked around, not all that surprised at the reaction this little blonde was eliciting. As the applause died down once again, Callie heard a giggle echo through the speakers. She cast her gaze back to the woman on stage and, again, smiled involuntarily.

Cristina turned to Callie to speak but stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed the stupefied look on the face of Callie Torres. Callie's face should not be able to make the look it was currently forming, if you asked Cristina. Just as she was about wipe the grin off Callie's face a familiar voice broke into their consciousness.

"Hey guys, what'd I miss?" Teddy asked.

"Not much," Cristina replied, "They're just about to start. But you did miss wicked-awesome googly eyes from Torres."

Teddy smiled in Callie's direction.

"Great, I wouldn't wanna miss the band that has Cristina Yang gushing like a little school girl," Teddy said with a grin.

"Hey, did you see Sloan on your way in?" Callie asked.

"Yeah, he was hitting on some poor girl. She seemed into it, though. Too bad it'll be too late when she notices he's a wolf in sheep's clothing," Teddy joked. She accepted a shot of whiskey and a beer from Cristina just as the band played their first notes.

The crowd immediately started moving to the hard and fast riff emanation from the stand-up bass in the corner. It was soon joined by a simple but catchy beat from the drummer, only to be caught by the guitar's melody.

After a few introductory bars Callie heard a low, building growl. Her eyes bugged out when she realized where it was coming from.

"See, I told you you'd never expect that," Cristina said smugly upon seeing Callie's face. Callie merely nodded.

The blond intermittently growled notes into the music and hit sweet melodic chords. It took all of Callie's willpower not to blatantly stare at the enigma on stage. She could be complete soft and angelic one moment only to become rough and tumble the next, dictated only by the sounds of her band members.

After their set was over, the band left the stage. The sound system came back on and picked up where The Dollhouse had left off, giving the bar-goers a rhythm to sway to. Callie turned back to the bar, her beer having long since been drained. Cristina offered another round but Callie settled for a Sprite, instead. Even if she wasn't so aware of the injuries motorcycle accidents could cause, there was no way she would endanger her two-wheeled speed demon.

"Oh, Teddy, didn't you get your new tattoo the other day?" Callie asked.

"Yeah I did! Here, check it out," Teddy said as she lifted her shirt to reveal her tattoo. It was scene of several typical childhood toys spanning from just above her low-slung jeans, curving over her hip and terminating by her lower ribs.

"Holy crap, Teddy! That's some awesome colour work," Cristina lauded with wide eyes. She was definitely more than a little buzzed if she was openly admiring a picture three colourful teddy bears surrounded by building blocks and beach balls. Teddy and Callie just looked at each other and smiled as they shook their heads slightly.

"Nice jacket," came from behind Callie. As she whipped her head around she was met with piercing blue eyes. She gulped.

**-XXX-**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** The Mech and the 'Billy  
**Author:** clanket  
**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** A/U. Callie and Arizona meet in a dive bar and hit it off.  
**  
Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

_"Nice jacket," came from behind Callie. As she whipped her head around she was met with piercing blue eyes. She gulped._

"Uhh, thanks. It matches my bike," she replied, her smile faltering while her hands suddenly felt very moist. She tore her eyes away from the set in front of her only to glance back to catch a couple of dimples coming out to play. She couldn't help but smile again.

"Yeah, I figured since your helmet has the same green and black on it," the blond said with a smirk as she noted how hard the woman in front of her was concentrating on keeping her eyes above her neck, even going so far as to looking away completely.

"Yeah, well not too many girls are into bikes. I guess I have to clarify a lot of the time," Callie replied.

"Well I'm not like many other girls," the blond retorted.

"Oh no, that's not what I meant – I meant that -"

The blond laughed and took mercy on Callie. "I was just teasing. Let me buy you a drink."

Callie's eyes went wide with the realization that the woman she was staring at for the last 45 minutes was flirting with her. She put on a wolfish grin and leaned into the blond saying, "I actually already have a drink," she nodded toward her glass, "but you should let me buy you one…or several." Callie noticed that the blonde's breath became shallower when she leaned forward. She was pleased at the blush that had formed on the woman's chest by the time she winked at her and pulled back.

"So what'll it be," Callie asked still wearing a grin.

After the blond hadn't responded for a few seconds Callie's mouth transformed into an all-out smile. She leaned back in and said, "look, I'm not a mind reader here, but judging by your glazed-over eyes, I'm guessing that you're not really sure of what you want either, right?"

The blond kept her eyes locked with Callie's and nodded twice.

"Alright, so I'm just gonna go ahead and order you something, okay?"

The blond nodded again so Callie turned back to the bar and ordered a shot of brandy and a rye and ginger for her new companion. Once the drinks were paid for, Callie turned back to said companion and handed her the brandy. The blond gulped it down and slammed the glass onto the bar. Still smiling, Callie handed her the next drink and waited for her to take a few sips before speaking.

"So I know that you're into music and that you can at least identify a motorcycle jacket. I also know that you've gotta be pretty brave to make the first move on someone like me," Callie leaned in close to the blonde again and continued, "and I know that red is _definitely_ your colour." She looked the blond up and down but remained close.

"But do you know what I don't know?"

The blond shook her head.

"Your name," Callie said and smiled.

The blond let out a breath and was thankful for the change in mood. She chuckled and held out her hand.

"I'm Arizona," she said as Callie's large hand wrapped around hers.

"Well it's nice to meet you Arizona. I'm Callie." After a few lingering moments Callie let her hand drop.

Just then, Mark sauntered up to the pair and angled himself between Callie and Arizona, much to his friend's chagrin.

"Hi," Mark said with another predatory grin. "I'm Mark. I like what you did up there."

"I'm not interested," came the reply, "and I didn't realize you were such a talented multitasker, seeing as you had your tongue buried in some girl's throat my whole set," Arizona said with a smile.

Mark scowled, weighing his options in his head until Callie interrupted his internal battle.

"Beat it, Sloan," Callie said as she grabbed Mark's shirt and roughly tugged him away from her new-found friend. Super, super hot new friend with a 'fuck me' dress that accentuated Callie's favourite piece(s) of female anatomy. It really was just begging her to tear it off – 'whoa', Callie thought to herself. 'Reel it in there, you're still in the bar.'

"What, do you have dibs on her or something?" Mark said to Callie under his breath. Man if only there was a table between them to cover it up, Callie would kick him in the shins so hard!

"What the hell is the matter with you Mark?" she hissed. "She's a woman not the last ice cream bar in the freezer!"

"…so that's a yes?" Mark asked, squinting his eyes.

Callie rubber her forehead with her fingers and let out a breath then replied to her obviously inebriated friend, "yes, Mark, that's a yes."

Mark glanced at Arizona who had found her way to a stool, and was waiting patiently a few feet away. The grin returned to his face and he said, "way to go Torres! One of us definitely needs to hit that."

Callie couldn't help but laugh. This was his way of approving of Arizona.

"Thanks, Mark."

Callie turned around to return to Arizona only to have her ass smacked by a large palm. She whipped around and glared at Mark yet again but he just smiled.

Sidling up to the bar, Callie sheepishly apologized for her friend's behaviour.

"Friend of yours," Arizona asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah. He's actually a really good guy, he's just a little drunk and gorgeous women are kind of his kryptonite. He's weak against them even sober so alcohol really doesn't help."

Callie noticed that Arizona was now sporting a massive smile and prominently displaying her dimples.

"What?" she asked.

"You think I'm gorgeous," Arizona replied.

"What?"

"Yup. You just said that your friend has a weak spot for gorgeous women. You think I'm gorgeous," she finished teasingly.

"Is that a problem for you?" Callie asked in a husky whisper.

Arizona's smile was wiped from her face as quickly as it had arrived and she swallowed. Her mouth was suddenly dry as she stared into the intense eyes in front of her. Before she knew what she was doing, Arizona began to lean toward Callie. She glanced at the full lips mere inches from her own then back up into near-black eyes. Callie was holding her breath, waiting for Arizona to close the last inch.

"Oh my God! Callie you're hooking up with the lead singer?" came the disbelieving cry from somewhere to her left. Arizona sat up straight in surprise while Callie shut her eyes in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry, Callie," came Teddy's voice from closer now. "I tried to stop her but you know how strong Cristina gets when she's drunk."

Callie shook her head understandingly and watched as Cristina had a fangirl moment with the minor yet beautiful celebrity in front of her.

"Arizona?"

Arizona looked up and met a familiar face. "Eddi!"

"Eddi?" Callie and Cristina questioned simultaneously. Teddy shot them a sheepish look and turned her attention back to Arizona.

"Eddi it's been way too long," Arizona exclaimed as she pulled Teddy into a hug. "How've you been?"

"Good, doing some custom designing now. I've just gotta say, though, you look nothing like you did back in high school!" Teddy said with a laugh.

"Well I should hope not. I like to think I've improved," Arizona joked. "But I wouldn't have recognized you, either. You used to be so proper! Look at all these tattoos! What did your mom say when she saw them?"

Teddy laughed. "Not much. She actually didn't speak to me for more than two weeks after I got the first one. She's come to terms with them now, though."

"Wait, wait, wait," Cristina slurs. "You two know each other? Teddy were you even paying attention the hour they were on stage? And 'Eddi'? You really need to explain what that's all about," Cristina said with a giggle.

"Wow, you're drunk," Teddy replied. "I'll tell you tomorrow so I'll only have to explain it once." She then turned back to Arizona. "So you have your own band, eh? What'd the Colonel have to say about this get up," Teddy asked as she waved a finger pointing up and down Arizona's figure. Callie watched the exchange, amazed at what a small world it was sometimes.

After Teddy and Arizona had caught up they exchanged phone numbers with promises to keep in touch.

"So you and Teddy were best friends in high school? You don't really seem like you'd mesh," Callie observed.

"Yeah well sometimes opposites attract."

"Wait, you and Teddy – you weren't, like, _together_ in high school, were you?"

"What? No, of course not. We really were just friends. And despite her now rugged appearance, she's actually quite straight."

Callie smiled. "But you're not," she said, half stating it and half asking for reassurance.

Arizona chuckled and squinted a little in thought, then replied, "umm 'straight' is not the best adjective to describe me, no."

"Good," Callie said, still smiling.

"Good?"

"Yeah. I would be really upset if I bought a girl drinks all night, almost kissed her then found out she was straight," Callie teased.

"Well maybe I could ease your fears a little," Arizona said.

"Oh yeah? And how do you plan on doing that," Callie flirted.

Arizona gave a lopsided smile and turned to fully face Callie on her stool. She grabbed Callie's jacket and pulled her in, spreading her legs to make room for Callie's. When they were chest to chest, Arizona let her hand drop to grasp Callie's left wrist, their eyes never leaving each other's. She brought it up toward her body then reached her left hand to the other side of the bar. She grabbed a pen from its holder and wrote her number on the top of Callie's hand.

"Why not on the palm like people usually do?"

"Because, like I said earlier," Arizona paused to blow a cool stream of air across Callie's hand to dry the ink, "I'm not like most people." She smiled up at Callie. "Besides, it would be silly of me to write it on your palm where it would get rubbed off on your bike," she finished with a smirk and gently pushed Callie back a step and crossed her legs.

**-XXX-**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** The Mech and the 'Billy  
**Author:** clanket  
**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** A/U. Callie and Arizona meet in a dive bar and hit it off.  
**  
Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

The bar had all but emptied, excepting Callie's friends sitting in a booth next to the stage and a few other stragglers finishing off their last drinks of the night.

"Hey, Arizona," a man called from the entrance, "we're almost all set," he finished when Arizona had turned to him. She nodded her assent then turned back to Callie.

"That's my cue," she told Callie. "I guess the boys are done packing up their gear," she continued, feeling somewhat sad at the prospect of having to leave Callie.

"Sure, I'll walk you out."

Callie pushed herself off the bar, zipped up her jacket and grabbed her helmet.

"You didn't bring a jacket with you?" she asked Arizona.

"I did but I left it in the van. It was pretty warm when we got here to set up," she explained.

Callie nodded and ushered her toward the front door by placing her free hand on the small of Arizona's back.

Upon noticing the light touch, Arizona instinctively leaned into Callie as they continued on their way out the bar. Once outside Callie saw that Arizona's band members were still trying to fit the last of their amps and drums into the van.

"Whoa, your van looks pretty full," Callie remarked with raised brows.

"Yeah but that's the life of a struggling artist," Arizona retorted with a goofy smile. She crossed her arms in front of her chest in an attempt to ward off the chill of the night.

Callie noticed the gesture and unzipped her jacket. Opening the lapels she said, "come here."

Arizona complied without complaint, pulling her arms up in front of her so that they were between their bodies and pressed herself into Callie's torso in an attempt to steal whatever warmth she could. Callie wrapped her arms around the petit frame in front of her, letting her helmet rest against Arizona's lower back.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much," the blond said, smiling up at Callie. "But you realise that most people would've just given up their jacket, right" she teased.

"Well I guess I'm not like most people, either," Callie replied. "Besides, I prefer this way."

Callie smiled back at Arizona, revelling in the peaceful moment.

"You know, I could always give you a ride home," Callie suggested with a shrug. "I mean, I know how great being stuck in a packed van with three sweaty and two slightly inebriated guys can be," Callie explained with a chuckle then ducked her head closer to the blondes ear, "but I think that you might enjoy having your legs wrapped around me more."

Callie felt the body in her arms tense and heard a gasp very near her ear at the same time. Pleased with the reaction, she pulled back to look at Arizona's face. She had on an expression very similar to the one she'd displayed in the bar when Callie was forced to order drinks on her behalf.

A moment later Arizona had composed herself enough to formulate a response.

"Well, as enticing as that is, I'm really not too sure I could keep myself upright long enough to get anywhere after the amount of drinks you bought me," Arizona said looking up at Callie accusingly through her lashes.

"Besides this dress wasn't exactly made for cruising on a motorcycle," she joked.

Callie smiled then turned away from the blond momentarily when she heard her friends talking quietly behind her. When Callie returned her attention to Arizona, the girl continued.

"But I would definitely take a rain check. Don't be afraid to use that number," she finished, referring to her phone number on Callie's hand.

"Just so I can prepare for it," Callie started with a teasing lilt, "should I always expect to see you decked out in rockabilly gear? Or is this like a special outfit for your shows?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see," Arizona flirted. She turned her head to look toward the van behind her when she heard the sound of the trunk slam.

"I've gotta go, the sweaty inebriated guys await," she said with a grin.

Callie smiled then reluctantly removed her arms from the blonde's waist, letting them drop back to her sides. With a quick wave Arizona said her goodbyes to Callie's friends and disappeared behind the van's sliding door. Callie watched on as the white vehicle peeled out of the parking lot then took a few steps backward to join her friends.

"Looks like you ladies were getting along," Mark said with a dirty smirk. Callie wanted to be mad at him but she was just too happy that she'd gotten the captivating woman's phone number.

"What did you guys even talk about for so long?" Teddy inquired. "I mean we always got along well as kids but it's been ten years and even I couldn't find that many things to ask her."

Callie shrugged, the smile still pasted on her face.

"I didn't really have to find things to ask her about. We just talked about whatever came up naturally."

"Does this mean we're going to get into their shows for free from now on?"

"Cristina, their show was free; the five dollars was a cover charge to get into the bar," Callie retorted.

"Whatever, bars shouldn't be charging me anything considering I clean them out of all their tequila," Cristina slurred.

Callie let out a chuckle at the all too true statement. She turned to Teddy.

"Do you think you can handle the winos on your own tonight?"

"Yeah, I've got them. I'll just keep them at my place for the night to make sure they're up in time for work in the morning. You can go ahead."

By the time Teddy finished, Callie had already retrieved her gloves from the depths of her helmet and placed them over her hands. She nodded in understanding at her designer and shoved her head through the bottom of her helmet and proceeded to secure the chin strap. After a quick round of hugs she turned toward the parking lot and made her way toward her bike. It was easy to spot in the now bereft space; not that it would have been that easy to miss the practically glowing Kawasaki green accents.

Callie threw her leg over the bike and rested her weight on the seat, relishing in the knowledge of the power that existed between her legs. She put the key in the ignition and turned it then pulled in the clutch with her left hand and pushed the starter with her right thumb. She revved the engine slightly to help it warm up. Once she ensured she was in neutral, Callie released the clutch and sat back once more. She zipped up her jacket, the anticipation of the ride building in her like it did every time the prospect of tearing the throttle open presented itself. She smiled behind her helmet.

Once Callie was satisfied that her gear was properly done up and the engine had warmed enough, she lowered the visor on her helmet then leaned forward into the aggressive riding position afforded by the speed demon, pulled in the clutch and stepped onto the shift lever to get into gear. Slowly releasing the clutch and simultaneously turning the throttle, Callie surged forward on the bike and pulled her feet up onto the pegs.

With thoughts of Arizona playing in her mind, Callie wound through the mostly empty streets of Sacramento to her home, leaning into each corner a little harder than she normally would. This was definitely going to be an exciting new adventure.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** The Mech and the 'Billy  
**Author:** clanket  
**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** A/U. Callie and Arizona meet in a dive bar and hit it off.  
**  
Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**A/N:** Sorry this took so long! Some of you might have noticed that I've been updated _A Conspicuous Conspiracy _a lot and that has caused me to neglect this fic. After that hiatus, however, I have an idea of where I want to take the next few chapters so I'm hoping to update both stories more frequently

* * *

"_But I would definitely take a rain check. Don't be afraid to use that number," she finished, referring to her phone number on Callie's hand._

…_  
Callie smiled then reluctantly removed her arms from the blonde's waist, letting them drop back to her sides. With a quick wave Arizona said her goodbyes to Callie's friends and disappeared behind the van's sliding door._

xxx

"Hey, Cristina, have you heard from Hunt?" Callie called into the office from the front shop.

"Yeah, his first race is in an hour," she yelled back from her place in front of the computer.

"Alright, get me his stats and the video as soon as you can," Callie told her as she shrugged off her black leather jacket. Nice weather or not, that thing hugged all her curves in all the right ways and she knew it.

Making her way through the heavy red door into the garage, ensuring she held it open long enough for her dog to follow along, Callie pushed her tribal and flower-printed shirt sleeves up to her elbows. The smell of the oil and metal and solder comforted her like nothing else; it had been the only constant in her life for nearly the last decade. She smiled at her mechanics as she passed them, saying brief good mornings here and there. When she reached the metal desk at the far end of the shop she stopped to peek over the shoulder of the blonde drawing there. She took in the sketches of the Skyline GT-R from multiple angles, each showcasing a different piece of the artwork. On one of the scattered sheets Callie saw a detailed layout of the work to be placed on the left side of the car and was immediately impressed. It showed multiple rap artists depicted with Day of the Dead skulls replacing their normal features.

One had Biggie Smalls in a fedora with swirls of small flowers playing across his large chin and making up his single visible eyebrow. Small sharp leaves encircled his eyes which were the only things giving away his true identity.

That portrait flowed into the one beside it, this one with a bandana wrapped around its forehead and tied at the front, made to look like a wilting rose. His eyes were outlined with a bold star, small flower petals lining its edges. The next had thin dreadlocks and a joint in its mouth, smoke billowing from its eye sockets. Its beard and connecting goatee were made up of delicate, intricate lines and swirls that were balanced with masculine cobwebs at its temples.

The entire car was going to have these portraits wrapped around its centre horizontally, one flowing into the next with wisps of smoke and gun barrels.

Attached to the paper with the detailed drawings were the paint chips denoting the colour scheme for the car: deep maroon base to be decorated with a murky pink made by lightening the base colour and a golden yellow to highlight. Amazing.

"Holy crap, Teddy," Callie breathed as she reached over to the papers lining the back of the table for a closer look, causing the blonde to jump. "I knew there was a reason I hired you," she finished with a smirk and a light slap to the woman's back.

"Hey, thanks. I didn't realise you were there."

"Is this for the Rodrigues kid?" Callie asked as she flipped through the sketches.

"Yup. He wants to showcase both his inner gangster and Mexican roots on his car. Gave me free reign as long as I don't give him back a 'chick car'. His words, not mine," she added at Callie's raised eyebrow.

"He does realise that a bunch of 'chicks' are working on his car, right?"

Teddy merely lifted her shoulders and held her hands up in a sign of defeat.

"What do you think he'll say about the pink?" Callie inquired with amusement, still poring over the drawings.

"Hey, he gave me free-reign. And that's not a girly pink, especially on that dark maroon."

"And what are these?" Callie asked, holding up a sketch of 'Rodrigues' drawn out in an elegant scrawl, underlined by two smoking pistols pointing outward.

"Hey, I just do what the client tells me. He said he wanted his name painted between the tail lights so I drew it up.

"The rappers are going to go on either side of the car, wide at the back and shrinking toward the front; his name on the back and 'mi Vida' on the hood."

Callie looked at Teddy disbelievingly. "You're serious?"

"Yup," she said as she twirled back and forth on her stool. "I liked the Day of the Dead theme but the front and back ends threw me. Oh well, it's his car and he's paying."

"Yeah, I just can't believe he's willing to pay our rates for this," Callie replied as she held up the sketch of the decal for the hood.

"Hey, that's still my work you're talking about, Torres," Teddy scolded.

"I know, and it's great work but the script is basic. He could have any body shop print him up a sticker with this on it for a fraction of having you paint it on there. The portraits though? He'd be an idiot to go anywhere else for those," she praised.

Callie took a nervous breath and lowered herself onto the stool standing beside her designer as she placed the papers back onto the workbench before turning her attention to the dog quietly sitting by her feet. She ran her hand along his head then scratched behind his ears.

"Hey Teddy?"

"Yeah? You alright, you seem uneasy?" Teddy said, taking in the sight of a pondering Callie who refused to take her eyes off the dog in front of her.

"Yeah, um, just…I was just wondering if your friend Arizona likes dogs." Callie asked quietly.

Teddy smiled knowingly, liking that Callie felt nervous about her childhood friend.

"Well, it's been a while since we really spoke but I think her family had a dog back in the day. Some kind of retriever, I think. Why?" she asked but already knew the answer.

"I was thinking of calling her. I mean I haven't taken Ando on a nice walk in a while and it would be an easy way to get to know each other a bit without all the pressure. Plus it'd be nice to see how he feels about her, too. What do you think; would she be up for it?" Callie finished, finally looking up from the dog.

Teddy's smile grew wider. "Introducing her to your dog already? You're really serious about her, huh?"

"Come on Teddy, I'm not kidding. I don't want to scare her off by calling too soon or taking her somewhere too intense."

"Fine, fine. Yeah, I think she'll love it. Just make sure you tell her to dress casually or she might show up in a poodle skirt and heels," she joked. "And I don't think you could call too soon. Judging by how close you guys got last night, I'd say she's probably waiting by the phone for your call."

Callie smiled at her friend genuinely. "Thanks Teddy."

She played with Ando's jowls for a few moments before looking back to the woman beside her, who had gotten back to drawing on the large table.

"Hey, do you think you guys could handle the shop on your own today? It looks like everyone knows what they're doing."

"Why, you planning on going on that date right now?" the blonde teased.

Callie smirked through the blush flooding her cheeks and shrugged slightly, still petting her dog.

"We'll be fine. Besides, you deserve a day off. It's going to get busy soon enough, anyway."

"Thanks, Teddy," Callie said standing up, patting her leg for Ando to follow. "I have my cell if you need me."

Callie made her way back through the red door, passing the office and Cristina, and entered the lunch room next to it. She took a seat on the broken-in black leather couch sitting against the left wall. She flipped her phone open to locate the number she had saved in its phonebook when she got home the previous night then pressed the green call button. After three rings a voice sounded through the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hi Arizona, it's me, Callie. We, uh, we met at the bar last night after your set?"

Callie's hands had begun to sweat, her usual bravado replaced with a tingling in her abdomen.

"Callie, hi!" The voice squeaked. Arizona berated herself on the other end of the line. Why couldn't she stop from sounding so eager?

Callie let out a breath she'd been holding, relieved that Arizona remembered her and even sounded happy to have her call.

"Hi."

"You said that already," Arizona pointed out and giggled.

"Oh, right, sorry. Well," Callie started as she got off the couch to pace in front of it, "I was just wondering what you were doing today? I was going to take my dog out for a walk in the foothills and then maybe reward him with a trip to the dog park and I wanted to know if you wanted to come along?

"I mean, I'll understand if you're busy seeing as it's completely last minute but I was thinking about last night and I thought you might be up for it but if you're not just say the word and-"

Arizona was chewing on her thumbnail as she listened to the brunette rant through the phone. Even if she had made plans she was sure she would have cancelled them to see the gorgeous woman from last night. She couldn't hold back the giggle that bubbled forth as she listened to the person on the other end of the line begin to doubt herself.

Callie stopped talking and pacing at the sound of the snigger.

"Arizona, are you laughing at me?" she asked pointedly.

"No, I'm laughing…with you?" she tried.

Callie chuckled. "Well that's all fine and dandy but I wasn't laughing."

"You just did; you were just a little behind the group," Arizona teased.

Callie smiled and rubbed her temples with the thumb and middle fingers of her free hand.

"I'll let that slide. So what do you say to a walk? You can meet my special guy," she tried again nervously.

Arizona smiled to herself across town, letting the silence build between them and knowing it must have been killing the brunette.

"Is this like a date?" she said finally.

Callie smiled. "If you want it to be."

"And for our first date you're introducing me to your 'special guy'?"

"Well he makes the final decision; either we both stay or you go," she jested.

Arizona laughed into the phone, setting off a brand new wave of butterflies in Callie's stomach lining. "Sure, that sounds great. What breed is he, anyway? I hope it's not some kind of lapdog because you would look silly with a little poodle all shaved down to have those pompoms on its feet and ears next to you."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with poodles. What do you have against small dogs, anyway? I love my little Chihuahua," she exclaimed.

Arizona's face dropped. She had only been kidding but now she seemed to have dug herself into a hole. She stood up from her desk and walked around to the front of it, nervously chewing on her nail once more.

"Nothing, I was just joking. It was a bad joke – I love animals," she rambled before hearing a muffled laugh come through.

"Wait, are you serious?" she asked earnestly as she removed her hand from her mouth and placed it on her hip.

"No, I'm totally messing with you," Callie teased. "He's a Doberman. Small dogs aren't really my style," she finished with a smile.

"You're so mean," Arizona exclaimed but relaxed immediately.

"I was just getting you back for laughing at me. What goes around comes around," Callie replied lightly. "So are you still coming with us or did I just ruin my chances of seeing you again?"

Arizona smiled. "You're evil, you know. But no, you're still going to see me. You did just get yourself a few points against getting a kiss goodnight, though," she flirted.

Callie sat back down on the couch, glad that their easy banter had resumed. She reached out with her left hand to rub down Ando's back.

"That's too bad. I guess I'll just have to work extra hard to make up for them."

Just then Cristina came into the room and sat down next to her, mouthing 'video'. Callie nodded before returning to her phone conversation.

"Alright, so how about I pick you up at one?"

"That sounds perfect. I'll text you my address," Arizona giddily replied.

"Okay, see you soon. Remember to wear something comfortable," Callie added quickly, remembering Teddy's warning.

"Bye, Callie."

"Was that your new girlfriend?" Cristina smirked.

"Not yet," Callie said as she stood up. "Soon though, I hope." Callie smiled at her friend and jerked her head toward the door.

"Let's go check out that video."

Once in the next room the two women sat down at the computer to watch the video sent over e-mail by one of their apprentice mechanics.

The clip showed Owen's pearl grey Supra beating out a white Civic hatchback. Good thing, too. Everyone knows that only newbies and wannabes race Civics.

"Shit," Callie swore under her breath as she scrubbed back through the video. "He needs to shift later, how many times do I have to tell him that? He won't make it past the third heat if he doesn't step it up and all the work I put in on his engine will have been a waste.

"Call him and tell him to shift half a second later, right as his tachometer redlines or I'll kick his ass."

Cristina nodded, knowing when to stay quiet, and closed the video window to get back to work. She opened the program she used to design the engines and chassis.

Callie glanced over at the work and recognized the model. Furrowing her brow she asked, "Is that Hunt's car?"

Cristina turned around in surprise, not having expected her boss to be checking on her work.

"Uh, yeah. I thought I could tweak it a little to lower the wind resistance. I thought it might help him win some races," she mumbled, slightly unsure of herself. She knew that being on the clock meant working on client's cars but Owen is part of their team and he deserved their support when he was struggling.

Callie nodded at her in understanding. "Good job. Let me know if it works out and we can work on it afterhours a bit."

Cristina nodded back before turning to the computer. "Have fun on your date, Torres. And tell Rockabilly Barbie she owes me five bucks for last night."

Callie smiled while she rolled her eyes. Of course she would remember the cover charge.

"I have my phone if you guys need me, but try not to need me," Callie said as she rolled her sleeves back down and slid her arms into her jacket.

"And don't let Sloan call me, I know he'll just want to pull my leg."

With that Callie made her way back out of the shop to her awaiting chariot. She grinned as she opened the back door.

"Up," she commanded. The Doberman quickly obeyed, jumping onto the back seat and promptly laying down on it.

Callie shut the door only to open the one right in front of it, slipping into her own seat behind the wheel. Just as she was about put her key in the ignition she received a text. When she opened it she realized that it was Arizona's address. Callie smiled widely before closing the text and returning to the task of starting her car.

Once the engine roared to life, Callie grabbed her sporty sunglasses and placed them on her face before revving the engine. Putting it into reverse, she turned around to see where she was going. Her foot on the brake, Callie looked at Ando and reached her right hand back to scratch under his chin.

"We're going on a date, Fernando baby. And you better behave," she finished with a playful glower behind her glasses then finally backed out of the spot.

**-XXX-**


	5. Chapter 5a

**Title:** The Mech and the 'Billy  
**Author:** clanket  
**Pairing:** Callie/Arizona  
**Rating:** T  
**Summary:** A/U. Callie and Arizona meet in a dive bar and hit it off.  
**  
Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

**Ch. 5**

_"Is this like a date?" she said finally. Callie smiled. "If you want it to be."_

_"And for our first date you're introducing me to your 'special guy'?"_

_"Well he makes the final decision; either we both stay or you go," she jested._

xxx

"Crap!" Arizona blurted as soon as she hung up the phone. What was she supposed to wear on a doggie date with a leather jacket wearing, motorcycle riding golden goddess? And she only had an hour and a half to figure it out.

The suddenly frantic blonde pushed off of her large bureau to make her way to her closet. Her rather extravagant closet: it was the size of a small bedroom with the walls lined with clothes in all styles and organised by colour. The centre contained an organiser that reached higher than the blonde's head and held even more outfits, many meant for performances, and had a side dedicated solely to shoes. The shoes ranged from the running variety for lazy days or running around (go figure) to platform heels and pumps to Converse and sandals to boots; all-in-all, everything a woman would need. These were organised by style and colour, making each row look like a shoe rainbow.

She went to the wall on the left and started flipping through the racks of clothes, trying to decide on what to wear. Callie had said casual but that didn't mean she had to look like a bum.

Arizona pulled several outfits and quickly changed into each to find the perfect one for a first date with a woman who was clearly a bad-ass – a bad-ass who liked her women to be quite feminine, if the Latina's reaction to her dress at the club was any indication.

Deciding to pass on the skinny jeans, the poodle skirt, the pencil skirt, tulle-enhanced dress, and not even bothering with her business attire, Arizona was left with a skin-tight pair of black pants that looked like she should've had to have been sewn into, paired with a red tank top and topped with a leopard print cardigan. Happy with the outfit, Arizona quickly stripped and hopped into the shower; everyone likes a fresh girl, right?

After working the loofa around her body like a madman and washing her hair in much the same manner, the blonde towelled off and got to work on her hair; rockabilly hair had to look kind of effortless even in its complexity in order to be pulled off properly so she spent the next forty minutes or so pulling it back into a half-ponytail with the loose portion being curled to perfection while the part held up was pulled through an elastic and then doubled back through to create a mini bun; the ends were hidden under an oversized red bow while her bangs fell perfectly across her forehead.

She went back to the closet and redressed before hurriedly tossing the discarded outfits onto the bed in her spare bedroom to be put away later and made her way back into her ensuite bathroom. She quickly outlined her top eyelids with liquid liner and achieved perfect cat eyes with practiced ease; she looked a little silly for the next thirty seconds as she fanned her lids with both hands to get the liner to dry quickly then held her breath as she sprayed a light dusting of hairspray over them to set the paint. Ruby red lips completed the look. She'd barely checked her work when her phone beeped with the bubbly tell-tale sound of a received text.

She threw a pair of black Champion Jute Keds into her purse (Callie said comfortable, right?) and pulled on patent red leather platform peekaboo-toed heels before heading out the door.

xxx

Callie pulled up in front of Arizona's building. It looked a lot more upscale than she was expecting and was in a really great area of town. Having grown up as heir to a formidable fortune, Callie was no stranger to extravagance but this went beyond her own personal taste. To each their own, she thought with a slight shake of her head.

The brunette walked around her car to the curb side and opened the back door for a whining Ando. He really was a big suck and didn't like being kept from his master if she was in ear- or eye-shot.

The dog happily leapt off the back seat at the Latina's command and immediately began sniffing around the unfamiliar sidewalk, roving in unpredictable patterns with his nose to the ground. He checked around the car first – his territory, of course – then cleared the outside of Arizona's building before checking out the small plots of bushes and medium-sized rocks on either side of the entrance. After relieving himself, Ando went back to Callie and lay down at her feet.

A few moments later, Callie saw movement behind the glass entryway. Suspecting it was her date, she commanded Ando to sit nicely at her side.

Arizona swiftly exited the building wearing a genuine smile. She locked her eyes with the Latina's, ready to make a smart comment about how she just couldn't wait to see her when she was distracted by a movement to the brunette's immediate left.

The blonde's smile turned into a look of mixed shock and horror, her eyes growing wide, mouth forming an 'o'. She stood stock-still, hand gripping the purse hanging from her shoulder.

"Holy crap, Callie, what _is_that?" she yelled.

Ando barked once loudly before letting out a low growl. He stood on all fours, ready to defend his master.

Callie couldn't hold in her laugh at the way Arizona jumped.

"Ando, sit," she commanded strongly. The dog complied immediately, his jaw once again lax as he panted in the California heat.

She pushed off her car to take a step toward Arizona and introduced the two. "Arizona, this is Fernando. Ando, Arizona.

"Not quite a Chihuahua, huh?" she teased.

The blonde still hadn't moved or taken her eyes off the Dobe.

"That is _not_a dog, Callie, that's a freakin' horse! Dogs do not come that big!"

"He's actually pretty harmless once he gets to know you," Callie said matter-of-factly. "But if you'd like, I could always claim you as mine so he knows not to mess with you?" she suggested flirtatiously then bit the side of her lower lip for added effect.

Arizona finally tore her eyes from the Doberman at the sultry tone of Callie's voice. She smiled.

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea, you know, just in case."

Callie smiled back at the blonde then made her way over to the woman. Once close enough, she wrapped Arizona up in a tight hug and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek which made the latter blush. To Callie, the vibrant smile it elicited was worth the cheesiness of the gesture.

"You scared him. If you're nervous then he's nervous," the Latina explained calmly while her arms remained loosely wrapped around the blonde's waist. "Animals don't have language so they communicate through body language and that, mixed with how you yelled at us, told him that you're a threat to him and me."

"Here," she continued as she moved behind Arizona, keeping her secure in her embrace. "Just relax, he's just like any other dog," she said as she walked them slowly toward Ando.

The dog became restless and whimpered a few times, not understanding why his master was protecting someone hostile.

"You're still too tense, Arizona. Relax," Callie purred into a porcelain ear. At her gentle prodding she felt Arizona take a deep breath and relax her body.

"Ando, stay," the brunette commanded then moved to the blonde's side and took her hand. She slowly reached their joined hands toward Ando who had visibly relaxed, as well.

When he could finally sniff their hands, the dog raised wary eyes to this new person before nudging his head against their palms, asking to be rubbed.

Arizona let out a breath as she continued to pet Ando while Callie couldn't help but beam. "See, he's a big suck."

"Easy for you to say," the blonde retorted, "he grew up with you. No one would think this was a dog, though."

Callie knew that Ando was big; even for a Dobe, his shoulders reaching her hips constituted a large dog. She smirked, "would you believe he was the runt?"

Ando had stood up and leaned his body into Arizona to ensure that that she'd keep scratching behind his ears.

"Really? I would've thought he ate all the other puppies."

Callie laughed at that. "Nope, just my ski goggles, motorcycles boots and leather couch."

Arizona's eyes widened. "No he didn't!"

"He did," Callie nodded. "That's when I decided I would take him everywhere I could with me. It was also the last time I crated him; as soon as I'd let him out he'd go crazy." She reached out to affectionately run her hand down Ando's back. The dog turned at the familiar caress to procure more loving pats from his beloved master, leaving the at-ease blonde smiling at their obvious connection.

The brunette squatted down to properly scratch all of Ando's sweet spots before quietly popping back up to get their date started.

"Alright, now that you two are introduced we can get going."

Callie took the couple of steps back to her car and opened the back passenger-side door for the Dobe. When she looked back to Arizona, the woman was wearing a sly smile.

"What?" Callie asked tentatively.

Arizona stood unmoving. "Nothing, I just didn't expect the leather jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding, haze-inducing woman I met last night to drive a Mercedes," she teased, a glint in her eye.

"Okay, Arizona, if you knew _anything_about cars – or figured anything out about me, for that matter – you'd know that this wasn't just any Mercedes," Callie deadpanned with her hand still clutching the door she'd opened for her date. At the blonde's challengingly raised eyebrow Callie closed the door.

Pointing to the midnight blue car with custom-produced black 20" six-spoke rims with a thin chrome highlight around the edge, complete with matching grille, and one-of-a-kind body kit she explained, "This is a 2009 C63 Mercedes-Benz AMG tuning edition."

She looked at Arizona with a serious expression and raised brows as if the name and physical description of the car would impress someone who wasn't a car aficionado. At the blonde's smile and unimpressed shrug Callie continued.

"Oh, come on," she whined, "it comes with over 400 horsepower _stock_, Arizona, stock!"

Arizona kept staring at her blankly. Callie's eyebrows seemed to rise even higher.

"And I'm a pretty well-known mechanic in my field which means that I've tuned it up even more."

Arizona's face morphed into a goofy show of being unimpressed, her mouth twisting to one side as she widened her eyes mockingly.

Callie pointed at the car emphatically and kept trying to get the blonde to understand the beauty of the machine. "It has over 640 horsepower," she said desperately yet her date stood stoically.

"Zero to 60 in less than four seconds! Seven speed transmission! Paddle shifters – like in Ferrari Enzos and Formula 1 race cars! A ten second quarter mile!"

Arizona shrugged, still unimpressed.

The Latina huffed in exasperation and dropped her shoulders in defeat. Her head hung low, she reached out dully to pull the passenger door open once more and pointed toward it with the other hand. "Just get in."

Arizona smiled, glad she'd succeeded in getting a rise out of the passionate Latina. She walked to the open door and stood directly in front of the dejected brunette. When the latter looked up, she shot her a bright smile and ran her right hand from Callie's hip to her waist and around to the side of her tummy. She leaned in and gave the woman a soft kiss on the cheek before gracefully seating herself in the low car.

Callie smiled back at her shyly, her spirits rising at the intimate touch.

"Don't think that makes it all better," she mumbled. "And don't let any of the guys from the shop find out that you know nothing about cars, we'll never live it down."

When Arizona laughed at that, Callie gently shut her door and made her way around to the driver's side.

She hopped in and looked over to Arizona as she put her sunglasses on. "Ready to go?"

At Arizona's nod Callie eased out onto the road and toward the Foothills she visited regularly with Ando, passing just about everybody on her way. This is what she loved about this car: even if you didn't know cars and saw this beast coming up on you in your mirrors, you'd be sure to move out of the way.

Unless you were dumb, which the kids in the car stopped next to them seemed to be. Callie looked over her sunglasses through her tinted windows to see two twenty-something guys revving their 1994 Mustang GT and looking over toward them. She smiled deviously.

"Wanna have some fun?"

Arizona looked a little nervous but smiled back and shrugged as she answered, "Sure."

So Callie revved her engine to let the guys know that the race was on, the low growl startling the blonde, and waited patiently for the light to turn green. Switching the car into manual sport mode, she smiled at what was going to be a quick race. As soon as the light changed she stepped on the gas and took off, the increased torque propelling them off the line and into an early lead.

Seconds later, Callie kept the car at 60mph to allow the Mustang to catch up. When it did she rolled down the two front windows and blew the boys a kiss then dropped the car one gear and took off, Ando giving a small whine at being suddenly pushed back into the seat. She changed lanes to get in front of the boys, constantly upping her speed little by little to make sure she didn't lose the other car.

"Callie, we're going really fast," Arizona breathed, her knuckles going white from hanging on for dear life.

When Callie looked in her rear-view mirror and saw that the guys had shifted into gear and were gaining on her, she moved back into the inside lane and let them pass her before dropping in behind them and easing back into a comfortable 45mph.

"What, wait – that's it? How do you know who won?" Arizona asked, though she did look a lot more relaxed.

"Just give it a second."

Callie counted to four in her head before she saw a police cruiser pull out from behind a row of shrubs, sirens blazing and going after the Mustang.

"_That's_how I know we won," she said with a laugh and looked over to Arizona.

"You knew that was going to happen? That's just mean, Callie!" Arizona seemed to be pretty offended at what had transpired and scolded her much like Teddy would have.

"What? You're the one that said they wanted to have some fun," she smirked.

"What? This is so not my fault! How was I supposed to know we were going to get someone in trouble?"

Callie smiled as they passed the driver of the Mustang being put through a field sobriety test. She took Arizona's hand and laced their fingers together over the centre console.

"Do you really want guys like that, guys who don't know how to handle a car or when to pull back, on the road? Or would you rather they learn their lesson early on – before they kill someone – and learn to drive responsibly?"

Arizona looked at the brunette like she was speaking another language. "Right, because what you did back there was so different? I mean, it was fun and kinda exhilarating-"

Callie smiled at that, happy that she'd given her date a thrill.

"-but you were doing the exact same thing."

Callie's light mood was burdened by that comment; Arizona had no idea what she was talking about.

"No I wasn't."

Arizona saw the shift in Callie's attitude and immediately recognised that she'd pushed a button. She shook the tanned hand in hers gently, trying to coax Callie back into their fun banter.

"Hey, I know you just wanted me to have fun, and I did. Are you okay?"

The Latina refused to look in her direction but gave a curt nod.

"Wanna talk about it?"

The genuine concern in Arizona's tone caused Callie to glance over at her. She shook her head in the negative but began talking a few moments later, anyway.

"I wouldn't have even asked you if you wanted to do that if there would have been anybody else on the road. Do you really think that a station wagon full of kids would have stopped those guys from doing a hundred, never mind just some innocent driver on his way to meet his daughter for lunch or something? Arizona, they kept pushing even when I'd stopped, when the person they were racing against called it quits.

"I don't put other people in danger, people who haven't consented, and I know exactly what my car is capable of and what _I_am capable of. I don't push beyond those abilities on public roads."

Arizona could see that there was more to this story than the brunette was letting on but left it at that; hell even that was a bit heavy for a first date. She lifted Callie's hand and laid a gentle kiss to the back of it. She smiled at the orange scent that met her nostrils and the light oil stains that stuck in the creases of her knuckles; it seemed Callie was a hands-on kind of woman.

"So where are you taking me?"

Callie smirked. "To be 'one with nature'."

**XXX**


End file.
